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Parminder Nagra, better known across television screens as a
surgical intern in popular American serial "ER", finally became a
'doctor' when she was awarded the honorary title of 'Doctor of
Letters' at the University of Leicester Wednesday.
Leicester-born Nagra praised her mother and family values for
helping to keep her feet on the ground in Hollywood. She was among
13 leading personalities to be conferred honorary doctorates by the
university.
Accepting the honour, she said her mother and family were her prime
sources of inspiration. She recalled her mother as saying: "If
there's a roof over your head and food on the table everything
will be fine".
Nagra, who is better known in India for her role as an intrepid
footballer in "Bend it Like Beckham", plays the role of surgical
intern Neela Rasgotra in the American medical serial "ER".
Nagra hails from the Asian-Gujarati dominated area of Belgrave in
Leicester. Her association with the theatre world began when she
worked as an usher at Leicester's Haymarket Theatre at the age of
16, but it was not long before she was appearing on stage at the
Theatre.
Her first role was in a musical, "Nimai", with the Leicester-based
British Asian theatre company, Hathi Productions, soon after she
had taken her A-levels. When the leading actress was taken ill,
Parminder stepped into her part.
She moved to London where, three years later in 1994, she played
the Princess in the pantomime "Sleeping Beauty" at the Theatre
Royal in Stratford East, followed by a string of radio, television
and stage parts which included "Casualty" and "Holby City".
In 2002 she was cast as the football crazy schoolgirl in "Bend it
Like Beckham", instantly becoming an international celebrity. The
film became the highest-grossing British comedy in US cinema
history.
Among the awards she received for her portrayal of the role was
FIFA's 'International Football Personality of the Year' - the
first time this has ever been awarded to a woman.
"Bend it Like Beckham" was followed by more film and TV roles and
in 2003 Parminder Nagra began to play the part of Neela Rasgotra in
ER. She has now acted in more than 90 episodes and is one of the
series' central characters.
As a child growing up in Leicester Parminder attended Northfield
House Primary School, then Soar Valley College, where she played
viola in the orchestra and acted in drama productions.
Indo-Asian News Service
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